Castle in the Clouds
by Clockwork Counterfeit
Summary: Arthur Kirkland lives almost alone in his castle, where most of the world's magic remains sealed. Alfred F. Jones, airship pilot and captain of a glory-seeking crew, wants to make MagiTech, something only owned by the aristocracy because of the rarity of magic on the ground, the next big thing. Magic-steampunk!AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**- ... This turned out much longer then I expected. I didn't expect it to go over 5k (my oneshots tend to not go beyond that), and I especially didn't expect it to break the 8k mark. But that's one of the fun things about any kind of art, right? Always something you don't expect.

Romania plays a major role in this, and since this is AU, I named his Sorin (meaning "sun"). There's also Belgium, called Bella, and I mention Netherlands a couple times and he's Lars. Not Lard, like I originally typed all throughout this without even noticing. And if you see that in there it's because I'm... ditzy. Haha.

As for the America/Belgium in this... I don't know, on a whim, like this entire thing? They would be cute together, though, I think.

Anyway, enjoy!

**EDIT**: So what's going to happen here is that this'll be a set of one-shots all set in the same universe. This is the base story that all the others will build off of, but there'll be prequels, sequels, midquels, all at once, depending on my mood. Technically I think you could read them in any order, so long as you read this one first. Thanks for you time!

* * *

"Hey, Arthur." Light from the sunset illuminated the room in reds and golds. It bounced off the extravagant wallpaper and swept tile and ash blonde hair. It filtered through the colored windows of the tower-top room and the movement of clouds around them stirred the iridescent colors into an erratic dance. Even with its measly furnishing, it was easily the most dazzling room this large, lonely place had to offer.

The man addressed, paying no mind to the dancing lights and accustomed to the beauty of the room the point of indifference, sat in his rickety wooden chair, faced towards the sunset but looking down at the muslin he had been working with when he was interrupted.

"What is it, Sorin?" Sparking green eyes met glinting red-brown, a grimace versus a cheerful grin.

Sorin playfully twirled his favorite hat—a tiny bowler hat and the first he had made on his own and had maintained carefully since—on his finger while he talked. "You know how sometimes I get that feeling that there might actually be people here for once?" It wasn't common feeling to get, but every now and then Sorin would burst in talking about some intuitive sense. "I'm getting that feeling now."

Sparking green eyes rolled. "And exactly how often is that feeling right?"

The twirling stopped while the boy took a moment to think. "Around one out of five?" Too bad his intuition was woefully inaccurate. "I've been trying to promote it to two, but we don't get enough people here for me to get that opportunity. Because, y'know, we only get company once every fifty years or so. Except for that one time where it was like a two-hundred-year-gap that was crazy huh—"

"Get back to your chores," Arthur ordered shortly, ready to return to his embroidery and unwilling to listen to the talkative young man.

"I have finished my chores, Master Kirkland." Sorin spoke with a mocking sugary-sweetness, and when Arthur looked at him, his long and razor-sharp canines gleamed in the fading light, a teasing grin and a hope for lightening the atmosphere. If he hadn't looked so much like a ghoul with his dagger-like teeth and dried-blood eyes in the steadily decreasing light, he might have succeeded.

Plus Arthur was not in the mood to deal with his antics. "Then go to your studies."

"Studies are _boring_." The good-humored cheer gave way to a childish whine. "It's not like I'm not amazing powerful and talented anyway. It's kind of been a while since I started learning."

"Then _get_. You're dismissed," he finally snapped. While it usually didn't bother him, the familiarity that had settled in between the two could grate his nerves when his student got into one his annoying moods. He still remembered the days where Sorin wouldn't say a word against him, and nowadays the red-eyed boy had the gall to _whine_ when told what to do. _How things change._

He reminded himself that it wasn't always a bad thing.

Something along the lines of a pouting "yes sir" sounded in the increasing dark. "Oh," Sorin added, "and what if I'm right? What should I do if there _are_ people here?"

"You will inform me immediately and await further instruction."

* * *

Hundreds of miles below and the following noontime, eight were preparing for the launch of their newest and hopefully greatest creation.

"Assemble!" More-or-less-official-Captain Alfred F. Jones (self-proclaimed hero, main mechanic and pilot) ordered his crew. "I need a meeting now!" He stood on a makeshift stage—a picnic table, but between that and his height it almost looked like he was commanding some authority or at least making a good attempt.

"Not done yet, Jones," muttered Wang Yao (MagiTech researcher), who was busily implementing the final designs needed to contain the goal of their mission—the mirror said to hold the source of MagiTech. Kiku Honda (assistant) instead took Yao's place at the table.

"What the hell could we possibly need a meeting for right now?" grumbled Lovino Vargas (pilot and airship builder), but he abandoned his work at the wings upon receiving an annoyed stare from their "captain."

"Wait, can you hand me some bolts before you go?" Bella Verbeke (mechanic and, according to Jones, the official sister of the entire crew "except me since you promised me a date next week so be a good sister to the crew!") stopped him, distractedly holding out her hand in a "gimme" motion while she paid attention to her work. He tossed a couple into her hand and kept moving, still scowling.

Her older brother, Lars Verbeke (financial backer), and Matthew Williams (ship designer) were already at the table, Matthew preparing a lunch of grilled steaks, rolls, and salads for the others. Heracles Karpusi (mythologist) was sleeping a little farther off, but at Alfred's call he stirred and turned his towards them, waiting patiently to hear the announcement.

"Bel, Yao, Hera, you three need to be over here, too!" Alfred called out impatiently.

"I'm listening!" Bella replied cheerfully, but didn't leave her station. If they wanted to be done with this by the time the geyser was ready to go crazy, then she needed to finish and he could shut up while they did their work on the Mini-Ship (_S.S. Justice _or something cute like that). Yao ignored him altogether, and Heracles said nothing, but finally hoisted himself up and joined them at the table.

Alfred still wasn't happy he couldn't get the final two over to the table so he could make his announcement with all his friends nearby.

"What do you need, Jones?" Yao asked, breaking focus but not moving from his place. Irritation at being interrupted was written clearly across his face.

"Fine, fine, fine," Alfred sucked in a breath, and raised his voice so he could be _very_ sure they heard him. "So, according to reports Yao was kind enough to borrow from the geo center for our project," Yao acknowledged the mention with a nod of his head and a smile, "today in around four hours, the geyser will launch. Yao says the geyser, between tons of steam up and tons of power, which Lovino and Matt utilized when making the ship, should be strong enough to launch us far enough up to get to the holding and break whatever barrier it thought to be surrounding it. According to Heracles, who spends like half his time awake keeping an eye on where this MagiTech holding might be, the so-called 'castle in the clouds' will be around this area today, definitely close enough for us to see it immediately if we get this off the ground and to the right height.

"We all know our mission today to find the castle and the mirror has been tried several times over the course of nobody knows how long, and never did they manage, and right now the only source of magic we got is that little one in the middle of who-knows-where hidden from everyone. But we're going to succeed and bring the source of MagiTech down to the cities for _everyone_ to use, not just the prissy aristocrats who apparently need more luxury than the people. We can revolutionize the use of MagiTech on everything, including airships and trackers, food, industry, whatever else we might need!"

A click at just the right moment sounded and Bella popped out from behind the ship's inner wall. "Landing gear fully installed!" she reported happily.

Alfred nodded. "Today's the day, guys." He grinned his cocky grin and put his hands on his hips, gazing over his crew like the proud captain he was. "Today's the day."

* * *

Despite the fact eight made their contributions to building the _S. S. Justice_, a compact airship using model rarely used by even professionals, designed by Matthew and criticized by Lovino, only five were making the grand trip. Alfred, the captain, immediately got the helm. Lovino was the assistant and navigator. Yao and Matthew kept an eye on the systems. Bella played maintenance.

"Everything's running smoothly," Yao reported.

"Good!" Alfred replied. "All we need now is for the geyser to provide the extra launch power and we're a go!" There was an air of excitement about him, like a child getting ready to go to the candy store. The things they could do and make with the MagiTech, and they even had Yao on their side who knew what to do when it came to working it and—

The launch felt like an explosion. They had anticipated something like this occurring and built the seats accordingly, but that made the impact no less jarring. Lovino was the first to make a sound with a short "_Shit_." And he was right, it was shit, it was chaotic in their little hub, trying to keep control of themselves while they straightened out. Everything felt like it was spinning and jerking, like arms might be ripped off shoulders and heads of necks at any given moment. Alfred ran through the first steps of the plan in his mind. _Wait 'till stability, take controls, locate the mirror. Wait 'till stability, take controls, locate the mirror. Wait 'till stability, take controls, locate the mirror._

Finally the moment came when they could breathe without worrying about swallowing their tongues. Their panting seemed to meld into one human being consuming as much oxygen as possible and soon enough that died down, too.

"So is everyone okay?" Yao called out. Three voices returned that they were fine, Alfred adding that they had prepared for this, nothing to worry about. "Matthew?" he turned to the blonde next to him.

"S-sorry, I think I bit my tongue…" he smiled and gave a small, sheepish laugh. "I don't think it's bleeding though, just hurts. Sorry for worrying you."

"So long as you're not inj—"

The sound of Alfred whooping in celebration cut through the air. "We did it, crew! We got up in the air!" Bella was already up and out of her seat, giving Alfred a quick peck on the lips before moving on to try and get Lovino to cheer with them. Between her and Alfred they got a grudging smile out of him.

"I'm gonna go check on the engines and make sure nothing got hurt," she said. "Don't break open the drinks without me!" She scampered out of the room with her toolbox in hand.

"All right, Vino, you're next!" Next step was to find the holding. According to Heracles, it should be readily visible.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." Lovino quickly climbed up the ladder that would lead to the observation area, a small dome made of reinforced glass meant to be used so they could track the location of the mirror's holding. They all waited quietly for him to say something, holding their breaths. If Lovino saw nothing through the clouds, no stone, no magic barrier, nothing, then the months of work and their chaotic launch weren't worth anything. "_Holy shit_," he finally exclaimed. The other three jumped in surprise.

"Wait, wait, Lovino, what do you see?" Alfred asked, trying to climb up himself even though there was no room for in their little observation area.

"We need to turn around sixty-five degrees, and we need a go a little father up if we want to land properly. Not a lot, maybe fifty or sixty meters. Then we only need to go an hour or so." He paused for a second. "Also, question about this _holding_."

"What?"

"Who the hell made 'the castle in the clouds' actually a giant castle?"

* * *

"It seems everything's gone successfully," Kiku commented, watching as the airship went through the clouds and beyond their sight. Next to him, Lars grunted in agreement. Then, between neither of them talking and Heracles sleeping under the hot sun, there was just silence. Not quite total—the geyser and everything—but there was a sort of silence Kiku didn't like. That people-silence that made everything feel just a little more awkward.

"You know, Lars, I was surprised you agreed to this," he said, feeling the need to break it, even though he wasn't quite sure how.

"Were you?" Lars asked, lighting a cigar and taking a drag.

"I know Mr. Matthew was unsure you would ever try something like this—building a small airship costs money, however much, and it's not always worth the investment."

He released a steady stream of smoke. "Bella said the mission would be a success." The words were matter-of-fact.

Kiku blinked. Bella had never given the details of how she convinced him to agree, but it just seemed too simple. "And you believed her? N-not that I think she would be lying, but—"

Lars only stared at the geyser. "Bella and her little boyfriend know the strengths and limits of anyone they involve in their projects. If they didn't think they could pull this off, I wouldn't be here and neither would you."

"Very true."

And so the waiting began.

* * *

Landing went without a hitch. Well, it went with both Alfred and Lovino taking a tumble due to carelessness and thus getting a couple scratches and bruises, but the ship was just fine.

They landed in what looked to be the gardens. Rows of well-maintained hedges bordered the pathway to one of the doors of the palace. Statues of nobles and fey and characters of legend had certain grotesque characteristics, as if the person who brought them here _wanted_ to suggest decay and horror, given how everything seemed so recently cleaned. Whoever lived here wasn't exactly well-versed in _feng shui_, that was immediately evident.

On the stone path just before that, Alfred and Lovino were being treated for their "wounds" while Yao began figuring out their surroundings. "The fuck were you doing?" Lovino snapped at the captain as he applied a bandage to his arm. "Goddamn, I know we should preserve the ship so we can get back to the ground but I think my safety should kind of be a fucking factor in your plan of fucking action, _Captain_!" He spat the title derisively.

"Language, Lovino…" Matthew muttered as dabbed disinfectant into Alfred's head. "It could be worse," he added, louder. "You could have hit your head on the controls like Alfred did."

"Don't rub it in." Alfred pouted. Matthew stepped away, finished with his work, and Bella helped him stand up. "So everything went all right!" He said with soaring confidence, offering a shining grin to his team. "If Kiku, Hera, and Lars were here they'd be proud!" Bella and Matthew nodded in agreement, Yao only looked on in exasperation, and Lovino was ready to go off on another rant. "So where are our supplies?"

"We're only taking what we need to get the mirror," Matthew replied. "Food and tools are staying here." He held five lanterns and had three small satchels slung over his shoulders. Bella relieved him of one satchel, Lovino another, Alfred the third. Yao refused anything offered but a lantern, saying he had everything he needed.

Alfred slipped his pistol in a holster. "All right, team, let's move out!" he ordered cheerfully.

Once they were inside, they had no way of noticing a young man walk casually by the hunk of flying metal, stare, blink, and investigate with an excited smile.

* * *

It was just before sunset in the most dazzling room in the castle. Arthur was once again doing embroidery in his worn out chair. "Quirkland, hey, I've got news." Sorin leaned on the doorway, his expression nothing short of victorious and elated.

"What did you just call me? And do you have any idea what time it is?" It was right before sunset. Arthur hated being disturbed right before sunset, known as the time to himself in this empty but beautiful tower-top space. His student knew this quite well—it had been iterated very clearly several times.

Sorin shrugged, unbothered. "Not really; we have no working clocks, remember?"

"Just what do you want?"

"I was right! Someone or multiple someones have arrived. And here, catch." Arthur caught a shiny red apple, clearly fresh and most definitely not from anywhere inside the castle. Sorin took a bite of his own. "Not every day we get something to eat." They didn't need to—not like any food lasted anyway.

Arthur examined the apple with some suspicion as he activated his magic. He felt his senses spread out from just Sorin and the room to rest of the tower, searching for the unknown intruders among the familiar cold stone and bright, ostentatious décor. He'd start by scanning this wing then move on. While that was working, his attention moved back to the apple. "Where did you get this?"

Sorin chuckled, clearly quite proud of himself, likely for both finding the food and guessing correctly people were arriving. "Found 'em on the vessel they brought with them. I also took a couple huge books filled with schematics—apparently they got here on a giant metal carriage called an airship. I might have seen them once or twice in the clouds. Do you think we'll get more visitors now that anyone can use these things?"

"The barrier opens only once a year with no way to predict it and you know that," Arthur replied. "Whenever one of those geysers go off." They weren't in the east wing. He began checking through the north.

"Yeah, but that's still once a year," Sorin pointed out.

"Moving on."

He found them. Their image, their sound, their location ran through his head. A pathetic excuse for a map, appeared to be wandering aimlessly and arguing about their aimless wandering at that. The fight was between a small Asian and an olive-skinned pottymouth, while two blondes tried to get them quiet and a third kept away from the fighting and was waiting patiently, apparently ignored.

"So what are my next orders, milord?" his companion prompted.

"They're in the northern wing, ground floor. Five of them, likely armed. Your orders are to get them back to their airship and chase them off the castle grounds. How you do that is up to you, but I want little bloodshed on both sides and for you to be as quick as possible. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir!" Sorin made a mock-salute, turned on his heel, and left to go follow instructions.

* * *

"Stop it! Stay quiet!" Alfred commanded again. Yao was smart, they all knew that, but Lovino was sure the center of the castle (their destination) was most certainly not to the left.

"Any map we have right now is useless!" he argued, bordering on shouting. "We weren't even aware this was a legitimate fucking castle, we thought it was just a nickname. We go this way because we just came from the left! We need to keep as straight as possible."

"These records didn't just come from nowhere," Yao refused to back down. "Besides, little boy, just alternating left and right paths will not automatically take us to the center."

"It'll get us there faster than _your_ outdated bullshit!" Lovino had much more to say on the subject, but a hand was clamped over his mouth before he could say anything else. Alfred dragged him away from Yao and sat him down by the wall of the corrider, and stepped back to examine his handiwork with a bright smile.

Lovino was less than impressed. "What, are you putting me in time out?" he asked with a mocking hint.

"We'll cool off here. Matt, Bella, and I will decide where to go and then we'll keep on. Yao, fork over the map for a second."

Just as he opened it, a bat flew by and snatched it out of his hands. With a startled yelp, Alfred tried to reach for it and get it back, but the overgrown flying rat disappeared into the dark like it didn't even notice what it had done. "What just—wh—what?" Bats tended not to take maps. It wasn't really a thing they did. A piece of paper did not matter to a bat. So why did it take Alfred's? "What do we—"

Five lanterns went out.

"This map is weird."

That voice didn't belong to the little band of airship flyers.

"The north wing alone is full of errors," the new voice continued lightly from the opposite direction. "I mean, only a couple of the main corridors are written down—not entirely correctly at that—some secret passages are meant to look like actual hallways—they're not, which is why you haven't found them—they put the staircase on the wrong side… Do you have a map of the second floor, too? This thing is hilarious!" Laughter rang out.

Alfred pointed his pistol in the direction of the voice.

"Wrong way." The voice came from approximately thirty-two degrees north. "Be careful. You hurt me and…"

A squeak from Bella and her crashing into him shifted his attention to where the tiling on the floor fell away into the clouds. Wind whistled furiously below them, ready to take their human victims at the voice's word. She looked around for any sign of the voice's source, gaze as fierce as a lion's. Bella hated being toyed with like that.

"Whoops." The voice hardly sounded apologetic. "Anyway, what are you here for? Some golden goose? Dark, ancient tome?" It chuckled. "A magic mirror mirror on the wall?"

"Do you know where it is?" Alfred demanded, whipping his gun around yet again. He was sure that time he saw the shadows move and still.

"Hey, um, Al, here's a thought," Matthew said quietly. He stayed pushed into the corner with Lovino. "Maybe we shouldn't point weapons at the thing keeping the castle together…" He jumped as more of the floor crumbled, the hole widening and widening as they spoke and soon to isolate Lovino and Matthew from the rest of the crew. When black sludge began bubbling up, the two jumped to the other side and began looking for a path to get to Alfred, Bella, and Yao.

"H-hey, stupid bastard making this happen, stop it!" Lovino shouted. They spotted an easy-to-access pathway and skirted around and over the sludge to join their crew, squeaking like panicked mice the entire time. "Can we get out of here?" he whispered harshly to Alfred. "I don't think MagiTech is worth our death."

The black sludge continued to bubble and spread, and from that rose dark plants and horrifying wolf-like creatures with glowing eyes and sharp spikes jutting all over. They growled and snapped with purple-tipped teeth that more resembled claws. Growls rumbled all around. Bella growled back.

Alfred shot at one, and it disappeared without a trace. On instinct, he ran through the new opening and, on the same instinct, the others followed suit and dashed down hall.

* * *

From his tower-top room, Arthur commented scornfully, "He's far too fond of illusions."

He set his muslin, needle, and apple core on his ugly wooden chair before going out the door.

* * *

Alfred opened the door with a slam. With the lanterns out and no lights, he could only guess as to where he was. It looked like a spacious stairwell, based on what his darkness-adjusted eyes could tell. Like everything else they had seen so far, there didn't seem to be much dust—like people had cleaned this recently. Snapping jaws from the spiked wolves as they followed in sounded like gunshots. Yao kicked at one, and although it didn't feel like he had made contact, the monster reeled back and growled

That stupid, teasing, haunting voice rang out from above.

"So, in this group I see one handsome guy," Alfred looked more freaked than anything, "one pretty miss," Bella glared into the dark, "a tiny girl-man," Yao did not appreciate the comment, given the curses he muttered under his breath, "a more remarkably temperamental but also handsome guy," Lovino swallowed but remained silent and scowled, "and… where is he… ah! There you are!" Matthew looked unsure as to what their next course of action should have been. "When you stand next to Handsome Guy Number One you look kinda like a lively shadow!" Matthew's expression switched from fear to annoyance. _He doesn't appear to put much thought into what he says_, Bella mentally noted.

"Speaking of which," Alfred said with as much confidence as he could muster, "since our cover's blown, why not just turn on a few lights for us, let us have the mirror, and we'll head out?"

"Lights?" The voice repeated, surprised, like it hadn't considered it. "You're right, lights are a great idea!"

Fire flicked all around them. The light fixture above them, something that might have once been beautiful and intricately designed but was in shambles, lit up bright and cast a circle of life around them. Matching this was torches along the wall, a number of which lit and cast more light on the five but little on the voice, who was finally dimly visible. Sitting crosslegged atop a ledge was a pale boy who couldn't have been past teenage years, head resting in his hand, with dark red eyes that gleamed with a cruel mischief and a bright smile accompanied by dual fangs that looked all too capable of drawing blood.

He heavily resembled the ghouls of legend said to haunt the castle in the clouds.

"So, what, are you the bloodthirsty dragon protecting your hoard?" Lovino snorted, staring up at him with as little fear as he could manage. His voice was an octave higher than he would have liked, but no comments were made.

The ghoul's playful laughter echoed. Only a little firelight illuminated his features—most was concentrated on the five, and the pronounced shadows made even his innocent-sounding laughter more horrifying. "Nah, you haven't met the dragon. I'm more like the princess who in the end picked a different side." He paused for a second. "I'm also like the maid."

"You've clearly done your job," remarked sarcastic Lovino, who gave a pointed upward glance at the ruined fixture.

The ghoul followed his gaze, but he didn't seem to mind that his cleaning skills were insulted. "The thing's a pain to keep in order, so I usually put it off. When I'm bored I get to the lights but usually I stick to things on the ground. Anyway…" He leaned far to the left and just… _fell off_. Disappeared into shadows that seemed to follow him.

"Nice toy you have here, huh?" He appeared right in front of them. He stole the gun from the stunned Alfred and disappeared before anyone else could make a move. "We don't have pretty toys like this here in the castle." He was somewhere on the stairs. A click from the gun broke through, and then a surprised "hm?" like the ghoul had no idea what he was doing.

"Give that back!" Alfred snapped.

"But it's so pretty!" The ghoul laughed. Alfred stepped forward to retrieve what was his, only to be cut off by the spiked wolves. "Careful," the stupid voice warned again. "Also, feel free to leave anytime," he added, his tone tinged with indifference at the statement.

The wolves, one of the few things visible in this annoying dark, stopped growling for a second, the spikes on their backs melting away. In its place, little wolf-like heads, identical to their hideous hosts', formed, and it was those things that began the furious rumbling and glaring and looking ready to attack. The thing was _spawning_.

Dual shrieks from Matthew and Lovino pierced the air, meshing with confused and terrified blubbering from Alfred. He wanted his goddamn pistol back—why was that stupid freak on the ledge when he could be down here being punched in the fucking face? He was fully ready to shout out the challenge, too, even with one of those unholy abominations and its attached children preparing to hunt him.

Lights flared on and the room fully lit up, momentarily blinding the airship crew, the wolves disappeared, and it was just a normal stairwell. On top of the ledge, the ghoul blinked blank eyes a few times, obviously confused, before a dreading sort of realization spread over his face. His grip on his seat tightened so obviously even Alfred and his crew could notice it from afar.

"Why is it when I specifically order you to _get rid of them_, I find you not only playing around but pushing them father away from their bloody airship?"

"Looks like the dragon has arrived." Although his tone was a murmured sing-song, the ghoul's red eyes were widened and his fearful frown suggested he knew he was in trouble. He sucked in a silent breath before leaping down from his ledge and turning to the "dragon," really just a man with ash-blonde hair and an irate disposition. "Hey, Kirkland," his tone was shockingly informal and suspiciously innocent, "I am following my orders, I promise."

Green eyes narrowed disbelievingly. "Really, because all I've seen of you is doing anything but."

"Oh… you were watching that?" A tense silence gave the dragon's answer. The fidgeting ghoul put his hands up in an "I-meant-no-harm" gesture. "Really, teacher, I was going to get the job done, it's just—"

"_Enough_, Sorin." The ghoul straightened at the sound of what must have been his name. "I allow you to decorate the gardens as you like, now go maintain them like you're supposed to." The supposed dragon flicked his head towards the exit in a "get on, go" gesture.

Sorin's entire stance shouted dismay. "Can't I just wait until—"

"Are you trying to argue with me right now?" came the indignant question.

"More like asking poli—"

"If you really wish to say, then sit down here and do not say a word unless I allow it." He pointed towards the staircase. Sorin hesitated. "Now."

Like a scolded and sulking puppy, Sorin did as he was told. He sat down on the staircase, pulled a half-eaten apple out of his coat, took a bite, and waited impatiently for Kirkland to begin talking.

"He still has my gun," Alfred protested, tilting his head towards the boy with an apple in one hand and the gun in the other. The gun disappeared and the hand originally holding it moved to his lap.

The teenager wore a slight smirk at Alfred's surprise. "It's called an airship, right? It's on the seat in front of the controls," he said once Arthur signaled it was okay to speak, and took another bite of his apple. Kirkland glanced backwards angrily, like Sorin had done something wrong by returning the gun to the airship, but he didn't comment on it, and once again the ghoul quieted.

Yao, trying to be the diplomat, stepped forward. "Your name is Kirkland?" he asked cautiously.

"Arthur Kirkland," he replied, his tone curt and uninterested. "The brat is Sorin, and _you_ are all leaving immediately. You have no reason to be here and quite frankly I don't want to see any of you. Goodbye, don't plummet to the ground too fast. Let's go, Sorin."

Before Sorin could stand, Alfred burst out, "We're looking for a mirror said to be in this castle." Arthur froze and Sorin stayed where he was. "You know what I'm talking about. There's a mirror here that has all the magic from forever ago."

"No, there isn't," Arthur said firmly and immediately.

"Hey, um, Art—" Sorin began.

Arthur cut him off furiously. "I told you to stay quiet!" Sorin winced, but pressed his lips together in a motion to keep his mouth firmly shut, and Arthur's attention shifted back to the five. "I told you—no mirror. Thing shattered very long time ago. All the magic here is in the castle and it isn't going anywhere. If you're looking to take it home, too bad. Now go."

"Shattered?" Bella echoed.

"Shattered," Arthur confirmed. "It's trash now."

"But the magic—"

"In the castle. It's everywhere here, but it can't leave. That's what the barrier is for." He paused for a moment, thinking. "… Did a geyser go off today?" he questioned. There was no context for it at all, and it seemed like an almost random change in topic. He waited expectantly and impatiently for an answer.

Alfred exchanged a puzzled glance with his crew. "Yeah, we used it to get up here. Why?" He glanced towards Sorin for any context, but he had his long, creepy teeth sunk in his apple and kept his attention on the fruit.

Arthur muttered something under his breath. The only thing Alfred caught was "useless piece of shit," but that ruled out any incantations. "Thank you, all I needed to know. I would allow you to stay for tea, but we don't have tea and I don't like guests. Goodbye," he said again.

"So we can make absolutely no profit here," Lovino concluded dully.

"Exactly, glad you understand," Arthur's tone was still brusque.

Alfred tried a friendly smile—and he had amazing friendly smiles. It couldn't hurt to get on the good side of a dragon and his ghostly friend. "Um, I guess sorry this was a whole misunderstanding?" Neither castle resident looked convinced. "Any advice, now that we're up here?" Sorin opened his mouth—maybe to say something really helpful to make up for freaking them out like that because that would make him actually okay!—but shut it, unwilling to be scolded again. "I mean we spent months working to find this place!" Arthur simply deadpanned. "Least you could do after sending your minion freak to try and get us to piss our pants!"

That seemed to get to him, as he grimaced and gritted his teeth. "You, come with me. Sorin, watch these four and do not let them do anything stupid." On his way out, he leaned in close to his minion. "You will not listen to a single word of our conversation. Am I clear?" Sorin flashed him an innocent smile.

After Alfred and Arthur were gone, Sorin asked casually while toying with the apple core, "So, do you guys have anything to eat?"

* * *

"Where did you hear about the mirror?" Arthur asked once the door had shut behind them.

Alfred glanced sideways, puzzled. Arthur refused to look at him. "We found a few books about the castle in the clouds, and then we met a mythologist named Heracles. He told us there was supposed to be a mirror up here that had all the magic that used to be in the earth."

"Where did Heracles find this information?"

Alfred shrugged. "How would I know? He's a mythologist; it's like his job to be able to find this kind of thing."

"Don't get condescending with me, boy," Arthur snapped.

Alfred didn't like being called "boy." He wasn't a kid—he organized an entire endeavor to find a mythological flying magical castle and magic mirror and _succeeded_ (more or less. He found the castle. Nothing else needs to be mentioned). He was _not_ a fucking "boy." "You can't be that much older than me. Like, what, five, six years at most?"

"Much more than that," Arthur answered vaguely.

"Hell, I'm taller than you, how old can you possibly be?"

"Who knows? I've been here as long as the castle's been in the sky." Alfred stopped, trying to process what was just said, but Arthur seemed to not think a thing about it and continued without him. "C'mon, boy, keep walking. I don't like standing around."

Alfred ran to catch up. "… How do you live?"

Arthur sighed like explaining this was getting in the way. "Any living things that were in here when the castle's barrier was made were put into a sort of timeless state—no aging, no need to eat, drink, or sleep. We can, if we want, but it isn't needed. Anyway, that isn't what I dragged you out here to talk about."

"Is it about this supposedly broken mirror?" Alfred asked hopefully. Maybe he would actually give him the mirror out of admiration for his hard work ethic and then they could start up their MagiTech company and then everyone would be happy and rich and—

"Give up on that."

The words fell like an anvil.

Alfred stared at him, indignant, and stood in front of him to cut off the walk. "What?" he demanded. "Why would I give up on it? It's so everyone can have it!"

Arthur glared, almost (_almost_!) as fearsome as the dragon he was supposed to be. "Listen, boy, I sealed up magic into the mirror—and subsequently into the castle as a whole once the mirror proved to be ineffective—for a reason. War was going to break out over it, over who got control and who got the most. It would have ended with much more loss than benefit. Do you think I'm particularly intent on wasting away centuries of guarding this just because some early-twenties brash _twit_ thinks he can come into my castle and demand I give him some magic or—even better, great hero—try and steal it from me? No. Give up on here."

"But— No, I'm not—"

"Why do you even need it?" Arthur continued, as if Alfred wasn't trying to explain _very politely_ that he didn't just give up when ordered.

"We were gonna use it to program MagiTech and make a company out of it."

"Magic tech." There was no curiosity, just a simple, slightly misheard restatement.

"Yeah. Right now it's limited to the rich population, 'cause of the rarity of magic, but here it's gotta be everywhere. If we can harvest that, mass produce everything, then everyone'll have MagiTech!" It would benefit everyone, why would Mr. I-Don't-Want-Anyone-Hurt not think that was an amazing idea?

Arthur was uninterested in the entire explanation aside from one detail. "You already have magic?"

"Yeah, a really short supply, why?"

"Where?" His voice was urgent.

Alfred tilted his head, a little confused. "Um, dunno. There's gotta be a mine or a reserve of it somewhere where the company owner gets it, but the general population doesn't know much about it. I even tried to get my girlfriend's rich brother to look into him, but we get jack unless you're in the company. That's kinda why we're investigating the _giant floating castle_."

Kirkland let out a… not quite sigh, just a ragged breath. "Figures," he muttered. And then, "We're done here."

"You are _not_ just dismissing me," Alfred protested. Arthur gave him a look more sarcastically doubtful, like "yeah I am honey, get over it and go." Alfred pouted, and then when Arthur began walking back towards the stairwell, Alfred stopped. "Can I ask one more thing, then?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. What could this boy possibly want with him now? There was no more mirror, no way for him to "harvest" the magic for his stupid little project, he really had no reason to be here. "What?"

"Why did you ask about the geyser earlier?" The question pestered Alfred at the back of his mind. If he spent so long up here in the sky, how did he even know about the geyser? It had to be important—and important here meant relevant to his goal.

Arthur didn't stop walking—Alfred caught up easily. "There are six geysers that, once a year, one of which will go off. When that happens, the barrier goes away." Arthur ran a hand through his hair. "It was a fluke not mentioned in the fine print when I sealed everything away." He couldn't help but let slip a little annoyance and maybe some disappointment (_him_? Screw up on such a major scale? No thank you) at the memory.

The return to the stairwell was completely silent. Arthur had nothing more to say and Alfred was deep in thought, trying to figure out how they could benefit from this trip and how they could continue their project. There were two dots he needed to connect, if only he could figure out which ones they were. _Something about those geysers…_

When they reached the door, Sorin's voice carried through discussing something about food, but it died the minute the door creaked opened.

Bella was the first one to speak. "Well, what happened?"

Alfred saw the expectant faces and tried his best apologetic grin. "I guess we can't get anything here, crew." All four faces fell.

"You're kidding," was Lovino's deadpan response.

"Al, what did you guys talk about? We can't get anything? What's going on?" were Matthew's frantic questions.

"You'll surely explain this well, right?" Yao's calm reply.

Bella said nothing, but she looked incredibly confused and disappointed.

Alfred laughed nervously. "_Here_, guys. Don't worry, I think we still got enough of a project we can salvage. I'll talk more on the airship." The four hesitated, like they weren't sure he knew what he was talking about. And who could blame them? He gave them a glory-seeking speech just that morning about how everything was going to happen and it would be amazing. And here they were, turning back after coming so far, back to the ground, no magic, no way of making or supplying MagiTech. "I have plans." Okay, no, that was a lie, but plans were forming. He had baby-plans.

"You fucking better." Lovino made it a point to shoulder the stupid goddamn captain on his way out the door. "_Arrividerci_, freakshow!" He was not going to let go any part of this experience too fast. Alfred remembered when he signed on without a second thought, a poor ship builder trying to earn money for his brother and him, and he was going back empty-handed. The thought of little Feliciano asking curious questions about the failure made him force himself not to flinch.

Bella sighed. "I'll go deal with him. Bye Sorin, Kirkland." Her goodbye was short but a little cheerful (like maybe she and Sorin left on better terms than the minion deserved after his little stunt) and she rushed out, calling Lovino's name.

"Matthew, we should go prepare for start-up," Yao said, making a show of being irritated. "This was interesting, Kirkland. You should tell me more about magic here sometime." He definitely expected to return—he liked a result of anything, profit or otherwise.

"Maybe." Arthur didn't rule out the possibility, either.

Yao's face softened a little at that, like he could see a friendship on the horizon if they didn't end up hating each other. "I'll see you around then." He and Matthew, who had very little to say and didn't really like being in the castle in the first place, left Alfred with the dragon and the ghoul.

"So… once a year we get access to this place?" Alfred prompted. _The geysers open the barrier around here…_ That detail wouldn't leave. It replayed over and over in his head. It was important, somehow.

"If you can track it," Arthur confirmed with a shrug. Alfred nodded. They could do that. They had Heracles who spent like actual time jus judging where this thing could be, if it existed, which it does, which is a very good thing because they can come back and learn more about magic and what's going on and…

"You're coming back next year, right?" Sorin's voice broke through his thoughts, hopeful and excited.

Alfred smiled his confident smile and laughed. "Think you can scare me, minion?"

Red eyes flashed at the prospect of a challenge. He was still kind of creepy, but now that they could see better and he was attempting friendliness, Alfred could see how Arthur hadn't murdered him yet. "I won that round and I'll win the next." It was the beginnings of a friendly rivalry.

The footsteps in the hall had disappeared. "I should go check up on my crew." Alfred tilted his head towards the door with a sheepish smile.

Kirkland rolled his eyes and snorted, like he was talking to a troublesome kid (which was kind of irksome, but as the great and just captain he was he'd let it slide). "Just hurry up and get out," the dragon said dismissively, although not nearly as cold as before.

"I see the beginnings of a wonderful friendship." Alfred used a whimsical kind of teasing (the only one he was good at). Behind him, Arthur heard Sorin snicker. The little brat. "Goodbye, Kirkland, see ya, Sorin! I think I can find the way out on my own." He gave them a salute and made his exit, his mind still on the geysers. The geysers… they were important. Somehow. He'd figure it out.

Back in the stairwell, Arthur turned around to where his student was waiting. "… Now what did you do with the bloody gun?"

On Sorin's lap, the gun appeared, his illusion broken. "I'll return it when they come around next year."

* * *

Yao massaged his temples while the others worked their stations. Take off had been successful. "So what do we tell Kiku, Lars, and Heracles? 'Oh, hey, after a run-in with a princess and a dragon, we found out we couldn't profit?' Lars won't be overjoyed."

Bella shook her head. "I'll explain it somehow." She didn't seem angry, just not looking forward to telling her brother how they failed the intended mission.

"Just what the hell was it you were discussing that made you change your mind so goddamn fast?" Lovino demanded from their captain, hot with fury. "Maybe you don't realize it, but a lot of fucking time was wasted because _you_ decided to turn back after a little fucking talk."

Alfred brushed him away with a light wave of his hand, thinking hard and hardly keeping an eye on the controls. "There's gotta be something about the geysers…" he muttered to himself. "They break the barrier, and so…"

"What? The hell are you talking about? Hey!" Lovino's voice raised as he spoke, trying to capture Jones' attention. "Hey, _Captain_, I'm fucking talking to you!"

"We talked about stuff…" Alfred replied distantly, brushing him off once again. Bella shot her lover an annoyed look, but set to calming their co-pilot and getting everyone in their seat.

"Systems are going ju—" Matthew was cut off as Alfred finally added two and two.

He began shooting out orders. "Yao, when we get back, I need more reports on the geysers. Lots and lots of them. I also need to talk to Heracles about the castle. Matt, Vino, you think you could design a variation of this ship for eight? I want our ground team with us next time. Bel, I need you and Lars and your other brother to investigate the MagiTech source back on the ground. I have a few ideas."

"So you mean…?" Bella brightened immediately. She recognized his expression—one of realization, one where he knew what he needed to do, one of theories and plans and ideas ready to test and despite how he acted, he was not stupid, he was usually on the mark and if he wasn't he was pretty damn close.

Captain Jones put an arm around his brother and grinned at all of them. "We aren't done yet, guys. Just moving around plans a bit. It'll be great, guys, I promise!"

Matthew couldn't help but cheer at the newfound excitement that seemed to fill their tiny hub and turned his head to look out the window. "Maybe just to prove we did something, we should take a picture…"

But the castle was already gone.

* * *

"So magic's coming back, huh? No longer limited to the castle?" Alfred and his group had long gone. The moon hung in the air and stars dotted the skies.

"It appears so." Arthur was in the gardens, near the very edge where their little floating continent cut off, staring off into the horizon. If he wanted to, he could probably dangle his legs off the edge. His student was sweeping dust off the stone pathways nearby.

"What about what we've got on the great floating rock?" Sorin gestured to the castle with his broom.

The ash-blonde "dragon" shook his head. "It's the same as ever. It's been a long time—long enough for a new source to come about." He could still feel it, too, throbbing under the grounds and through the stone like a heartbeat, and Arthur was the heart. It pumped in and out through him and back into the castle. He sometimes wondered if Sorin felt it, too—if he did, he never mentioned it.

"So what happens then?" The question under it was quite obvious—_What if you need to siphon and lock it up again?_

Arthur shrugged. "We do the same thing we've always done."

Sorin, however he interpreted the answer, didn't comment on it further, just lightly changed the subject to one he's mentioned only a few times before. "Do you ever wanna go down to the ground and see the change?"

The fact that the times in which he brought this up were few and far between made it no less difficult to answer. "… Sometimes." He finally said. "But it doesn't seem like everything is fine down there, either." There were times when, if he looked hard enough, he saw blackness mingling with the clouds. That wasn't the smoke of the simple fires he knew—whatever kind of smoke it was, it was beyond magic and beyond his knowledge and he was not interested in looking into its source.

"We should sometime. You know, learn some new stuff. See the future. Meet new people. That kind of thing."

He couldn't meet his student's hopeful gaze. In fact, he wasn't sure when or _if_ they would leave the castle. "Maybe one day."

"Can't wait." The rhythm of the _shuff shuff_ of Sorin's broom changed and sped up, given some new-found energy. It was amazing how happy he seemed to be just at the thought. Maybe a little heartbreaking, too, but right now he didn't want to be so pessimistic.

Arthur allowed himself a smile at his companion's excitement. "I'm sure you'll find a way."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N-** These turn out so long... they're whole stories, I know, but still. Anyway, no new people are here, so all the names are the same.

As always, I appreciate any and all reviews telling me what you like, what you didn't, anything of the sort. Thank you very much!

* * *

The barrier was closing again.

Sorin could feel it. He'd been paying more attention, and could feel it open and close when he tried. He could sense a sort of openness when it opened, an invitation for others to come here, and a new isolation when it closed. No visible changes, but he felt cut off whenever it shut once again.

He sighed and leaned over the edge of the castle grounds, right by the gardens, staring dejectedly into the black smoke that rose through the clouds. He didn't know where that was coming from, either—the old wood fires he knew didn't produce smoke like that—but every area where the castle stayed (near each of the geysers, according to Arthur) had a stream of smoke just like it. Two or three times, Sorin had tried moving away the clouds and smoke to see it's source, but whatever it was, it was beyond his reach. So it sat there, an endless reminder something had changed, something was going on, and he didn't know what.

It had been six years since Alfred and his crew of four had come to their floating castle on their airship. Six years since Kirkland had told them to go away and Sorin had tried to chase them away on orders, and six years since they said they would definitely return anyway, the next year if possible. Six times a geyser on the ground had gone off, six times that barrier opened, and now, six times it had closed with no sign of a visitor anywhere near here.

Only twice had anyone said they would come back, and one died on the way down.

His red gaze turned fierce as some of the disgusting black smoke swept across his cheek. They wouldn't come back, it was obvious now. Fine, they didn't have to. More people would come after a while, and he would chase them off like he did everyone else, because people may come but they never ever stay and they most certainly never return, even if they say so, because they either die or decide he and Kirkland aren't worth their time. What's the point? It's been centuries and that hope hasn't done him any good. Kirkland didn't want anyone up here, and neither did Sorin if nothing came from it. Worthless endeavors, all of it.

Kirkland couldn't leave, either. He knew it. Realized it after year three when he caught Arthur staring at one of those stupid airship books like everything was impossible. He was the heart of the castle, after all, leaving the body wasn't an option. Hell, Sorin wasn't sure _he_ could leave, he was practically part of this stupid castle himself. Pipe dream, huh? Leaving, seeing people other than Kirkland or the idiot treasure hunters who saw him as a monster and a lifeless obstacle even when he tried to explain they couldn't just let anyone have the magic or, after the useless piece of shit broke, that there was no method to collecting it. They'd see him like that on the ground, too. His dark red eyes—with a resemblance to dried blood, they said—and his unusually long, sharp canine teeth—like an animal's fangs, they said—scared people, even when he tried to be amicable. That's why they trapped him here the day before Arthur sealed up all the magic in the mirror and brought the castle into the sky, to get rid of him. Forgot about him. So when he had to option to go back home, he stayed. He was never exactly sure how much he regretted that decision.

Only person to not see him as a freak in recent history was Arthur, who saw him as a student and an unruly servant, not a real person. "Look how easily attached you get to dreams, _princess_," he muttered to himself.

"Sorin, up before you fall off!" He heard Arthur's commanding voice, and he jerked up. His glare brightened on instinct, any sign of fury or disappointment wiped away as he turned to face his teacher, whose ash-blonde head shone like a pale sun from one of the second-floor marble balconies. A flash of panic surged through him, but he forced his expression to remain unchanged. Kirkland hadn't been watching, had he? "Do me a favor, will you, and light up three of the furnaces over in the first smith, and make sure there's enough metal there to work with. Also, collect me some water and leave it there."

Sorin blinked, confused. "U-um, okay."

* * *

Collecting water wasn't all that hard, but it was kind of fun.

Given how they were surrounded by clouds, all Sorin had do was, through some very basic magic, condense a lot of it and bring it to his destination (this time just a large bucket). Then, when he was done with it, he would reform the clouds and send it back to its other fluffy white brethren. Arthur used to do this until he showed Sorin the process, at which point it became his job. It wasn't a glorious kind of thing, but usually he liked to swish around the water in the sky a bit in miniature water shows before finally guiding it down into the bucket.

He hardly paid attention to what he was doing while he worked, instead keeping his eyes on the black smoke that still rose in a steady stream right at where the gardens stopped. The sound of splashing brought his attention back to the bucket, where he realized he had put in more water than the bucket could hold, and drops spilled over and darkened the stone around it.

When he reached the smith, a huge stone building in the shape of a hut near the southwest edge of the grounds, he abandoned the bucket by one of the workbenches and began lighting up the furnaces. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what Kirkland would need these things for, considering the only reason anyone went in here at all was so Sorin could keep it tidy. All he did, all day every day, cleaning and keeping things neat. At night was personal time, and when he had nothing to do he just went to sleep.

More and more often lately nights were dedicated to sleeping.

Maybe he had given up on their return a long time ago, when he began sleeping at night again instead of watching the barrier. He didn't know and he was going to stop caring.

"Are you finished?" Arthur was at the door, his gaze sweeping across the room. He was dressed in some older work clothes Sorin couldn't remember him using, rather than his usual day clothes.

"Uh, yeah, all done. What are you going to make?" he asked curiously.

"Simply doing some experimentation." It was then Sorin noticed that Arthur had one of those books on airships that he had taken from Jones and his crew. They never came back for those books or the gun that was also stolen when Sorin had attempted to get them to leave. He had hoped they would at least come back for their stuff. But what good has hope ever done him, right?

"Are you going to…?"

"Just experimenting," his teacher repeated firmly. His large eyebrows were knit thoughtfully. "You can go back to your chores; I'll be fine here on my own." That was a friendly way of saying "get out while I work."

So Sorin returned to the south wing of the castle and began cleaning once again.

* * *

Sorin was an idiot if he thought Arthur hadn't noticed anything strange about him. Arthur lived with the kid, there was no way to get around that something about him was off. He was quieter, didn't pester Arthur with odd or pointless questions, stuck to his chores and then went to sleep.

And then there was today, when he found his companion staring over the edge of their land. Arthur was worried he would jump off and try and fly down before the barrier closed. Sorin was talented with teleporting, but he definitely could not fly.

Arthur had been paying attention to the barrier, too. He knew it had opened today. Usually, he saw no reason to pay it any mind, but Alfred Jones and his stupid crew had claimed they would return and that had piqued his interest. As far as he was aware, no one had ever thought to come back to this stupid place—not like there was any reward for staying. So, at the back of his mind, there was always a little part of him watching the barrier, while the rest of him focused on the little menial tasks he always did.

When he saw Sorin leaning so precariously today over the ledge like the idiot he was, he knew what he was going to do.

"Do me a favor, will you, and light up three of the furnaces over in the smith, and make sure there's enough metal there to work with." He called. "Also, collect me some water and leave it there."

If Sorin had made any verbal response, Arthur hadn't heard, but when he had arrived, book in hand, the task had been completed and Sorin was dismissed.

Arthur had studied the books closely. With little to do on a day-to-day basis when his only job was to not die and his self-given task was to not release the magic, both of which rarely required effort, he was given time to do as he liked, and in the six years of no visitors, Arthur had taken to looking through the books Sorin had taken from the airship. In one of them (_Pilot Systems_, it was called), there were dozens of diagrams in the back relating to magic-powered equipment (apparently this was the "MagiTech" Alfred had been so determined to find in the castle). Next to each of them, the names _Wang Yao_ or _Kiku Honda_ were signed. That part didn't particularly matter to him—they were just the designers, most likely—but the equipment itself provided some fascinating research. He had studied them carefully, every last part burned into memory. He could pick them apart and still understand them perfectly, as far as he was concerned.

And so, following the diagrams scribbled in that book, Arthur was going to build a radio.

* * *

"So did you watch the geyser go off?" There was something piercing about her question, almost accusing. "I did."

Alfred faced her, her angry green stare, fierce, like maybe a tiger. Her usual smile was nowhere to be found and her tall but slim frame stood stiff, arms crossed. "I had a meeting so I was busy," he replied, unable to understand why she looked so angry with him, "Why?"

Bella's eyes narrowed. "Do you happen to remember this one time you and I, back when we were a happy couple," A huge fallout resulted in their breakup years ago. For a while they still pretended to be together—after all, they were supposed to be the engaged sweethearts that founded the biggest MagiTech company since the founding of MagiTech—but then they broke it off publicly when that became too much. Bella went back to normal mechanic work while Alfred ran the business alone, "went and collected six people for a project, built an airship, located a floating castle, and met the only two people to live there who wanted us out but then we decided we might go back sometime to say hello after we made peace. How long ago was that?" she prompted him. Her voice was chilled.

He shrugged. He hadn't counted the time that had gone by, just focused on what had been happening since Alfred found the immense magic stores only six kilometers away from the geysers and set up his business. "I don't know, maybe two years?"

"Six. Six years." She bit off the words, and _something_, some emotion, flashed through her eyes. Disappointment? No, couldn't have been. "When you were off speaking with Kirkland, we were talking with Sorin. Did you know people find that castle only once every half a century at best?"

Alfred blinked. He hadn't been aware of that. But it was fine. "They're crazy old, I don't think six years is all that much—"

"You're empathetic, aren't you, how lonely do you think that is for them?" she snapped, her expression growing more and more frustrated as she talked. "And you said you'd go back! Yao said it, I said it, we all said we'd visit again, and we haven't for six years! We, you know, _your crew_, have been waiting for you to come to the ship like we do _every year_ because we don't want to go without you, and you're never – ever – there! You weren't there this year, either, and we just watched that geyser again!"

He put his hands up in front of him in an attempt to calm her down. She was going insane over nothing! "Bella, relax, we can go next year," he offered, even giving her one of his brightest smiles. Even though they weren't engaged or mostly associated anymore, she still usually tried to smile back at him whenever they saw each other.

"We _are_ going next year." She turned and prepared to leave, and when she continued to speak her voice was quiet. "With or without you, _Captain_. If you care more about this business, then so be it. Maybe we'll see you at the south-east geyser when it's time for it to go off. Bye." The door shut and he was left suffocating in silence.

* * *

Bella opened the café door with a slam. The bells didn't even jingle, just made a hard _clang_ noise as the wall behind them kept them from vibrating. Chilly October air followed her inside, blowing through her hair and chilling her skin. It felt like a perfect complement for her mood.

Lovino, Yao, Matthew, and Kiku were already waiting at a table with various drinks and a couple snacks. She slid in next to Matthew. Lars wasn't going to come and Heracles was likely late. "So what's the news?" Lovino asked. He didn't appear to hold out much hope (he really never had), unlike the others, who seemed almost excited to hear something good about someone who was once good until that stupid company and "helping everyone with these great machines!" had taken over his mind.

"I lost my temper," she admitted. She saw it the minute he couldn't even remember how long ago their adventure had been—it's like he didn't care anymore. How much of their adventure did he even remember? They had been a team, and most of them managed to hold themselves together over the years, always close. Alfred had somehow drifted away. She had already been on edge when she stepped into his office, and that realization just pushed her over.

Lovino did his best to look nonchalant, not bothering guessing what she was thinking. "Happens."

He was setting her up to tease him. She knew it immediately—it was the Lovino-Vargas-way of cheering her up, making everything seem normal. It was that thought that brought the smile to her face and take the bait. She said, "You would know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He glared at her, but it was half-hearted. Another set up.

"Well, we all know Lovino Vargas has a slight tendency to…" She trailed off when she noticed Yao sigh, his head resting in his hand. He set his dark eyes on her.

"So is he coming when the geyser goes off in five months?" It would be going off in the beginning of the year this time around, mid-February, according to geo-reports. "Is he ever going to see us again?" Silence settled and any attempts at cheer gave way to tension. She wondered how many different answers were running through their heads. Kiku was stoic, Yao piercing, Matthew nervous, and Lovino deadpan. Their personal thoughts on Yao's question were hidden from her. Would they ever really see Captain Alfred F. Jones again?

Bella Verbeke, surrogate sister of the crew, first-class mechanic, all-around confident young woman, hesitated, shook her head, and all she could say was, "I honestly don't know."

"I just don't get why she freaked like that, Matt." Alfred and his brother walked along the sidewalk. Cold and crisp October air mixed with the warm perpetual smog that hung around the city. The smell of factories, something that was once new and amazing to Alfred but now hardly registered in his mind, floated through the streets, mingling with the smell of fresh bread, oil, flowers, homeless, and exaust. In the background, sounds of children and the _click-click-clack_ of shoes on stone and cars on the streets played out like a cheery melody. This kind of backdrop was why walking through the city was Alfred's way of clearing his mind—it was impossible not to draw out at least some energy from such a lively place. The city was an active organism. Sure, nature walks were quiet but it just felt too still, almost dead. Here, things were alive and running at all times, and Alfred needed to be close to life to think.

"I mean," He continued, "ever since we started the company, everything's been insane. Things have been running me ragged, especially after _that incident_." Not even Mr. Positive Jones could remember his break up with Bella in a mildly cheery light. And even Matthew didn't know he had cried over it for over a month after it happened, and still did if it crossed his mind before he went to sleep. "After that I was on my own. How exactly does she expect me to play CEO and still go on random airship trips?"

"Except it's not a random airship trip," Matthew pointed out. Was that irritation in his voice? "It's a trip that we plan for months, make improvements to the airships for, and then don't go on because you aren't there." His indigo gaze was hardened when Alfred looked at him, and then it turned to face the windows of the shops they passed. "Look, she shouldn't have yelled at you, but she has her points."

"But what am I supposed to do, just leave the company with a 'hey, see you whenever I get back'?" Alfred asked. "It's not like these things are predictable."

"There isn't a 'supposed to' in this," Matthew's voice was gentler now. "You probably should tell us whether or not you're coming along in February. If you are, then you probably should make plans to show up and actually do so. If you aren't then you probably should run your company like you have been. But it's your choice." It didn't feel like his choice. It felt like a choice other people were trying to angrily shove him into because they wanted things to be the same as when they went to the castle the first time. Well, that wasn't how it was. They were older, more successful. People were paying big money for Yao and Kiku's work, Lovino ran Lars' main airyard, Lars's investments had worked in his favor and his own company was bigger than ever, Alfred was running a MagiTech monopoly. That was most definitely _not_ the case six years ago.

The only person who refused to accept change was Bella, and that's because she was crazy. Who could gain so much and then go back to being a standard mechanic just because Alfred had been "disregarding everything we had built up on! Your proposal to me was supposed to mean something but all you've done is go to meetings and expand and focus on what earns the most money and makes the most stuff! When was the last time you looked at your own products? If I told you I was pregnant right now, would it matter? Can you remember the last time you cared about anything other than MagiTech?"

His eyes trailed to where a sweeperbot, a vaguely humanoid clockwork bot, was cleaning a terrace. Elsewhere, a car with a visible engine stopped at a light. Alfred recognized those as his products, or at least the products of his products. See, those wouldn't burn out anytime soon! He was helping people by making and distributing things with such energy and power! He was being like the common people's hero!

Bella's cold glare and Matthew's irritated "It's not a random airship trip" comment flashed through his head, merging to create a condemning presence in his thoughts.

A cough from Matthew snapped him out of his thoughts. Alfred couldn't tell what his choices were any more. How could he go to the ship with them—_her_—waiting to accuse him? "Do you want me there?" he asked, needing some reassurance he was even welcome. He didn't care if it was lie—at this point, he probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference, and what did it matter when it's just reassurance?

Matthew sighed. "… I won't push you into anything." He answered and made an abrupt turn. "Let's go eat."

* * *

What was Kirkland doing? A month had passed since he had suddenly decided he was going to shut himself up in the smith, and he still hadn't said a thing about what was going on.

Sorin had made multiple attempts to figure out exactly what Arthur was building behind the doors, all of which had failed. Arthur ordered that he remained alone while he did his "experimentation" (what is there even to experiment with?), but that didn't stop the teenager's curiosity.

His first thought was magic. It was easy enough, done on a daily basis to help with his chores, so why not right? He tried spying, his sight flashing into the smith, but Kirkland quickly and effortlessly blocked that. Teleportation was out, too—the final result of that was being knocked backwards around ten feet. One time he tried sneaking in through the shadows, only for Arthur to kick him out screaming red-faced about how Sorin was an impatient brat and he needed to quit interrupting his master's work. Given Arthur's sheer power and ability to negate any spells Sorin tried, it was evident he would not be getting what he wanted that way.

His second method was much more mundane. He tried to find some way to sneak in without the use of magic. Arthur had closed all the windows and doorways, and he carefully guarded them (maybe like a dragon guarding any openings to his treasure! Ha!). Anytime Sorin attempted to quietly open them, the words "Close it." cut through the air like daggers and he was quick to do as he was told. All openings in the walls were closed off, even that one hole in the bricks that had been made a long before the castle had risen into the sky. Sorin wondered if Arthur got any natural light or if he made it himself.

And of course at one point he resorted to whining, but the threats that resulted from that were ones Sorin could have happily lived his whole long, long life without hearing.

So finally he just started waiting outside, sitting by the door and wondering for hours at a time why he was being so secretive about what he was doing and what that even consisted of. Was he really not that trustworthy? They were the only two people there, it's not like he could go on at length to someone about what Kirkland was playing with!

"I know you're out there," Arthur said, his voiced muffled by his barricade. He said it again, louder, as if he was worried Sorin didn't hear. "Don't you have things to be doing?"

Sorin shrugged. "Not really, no." All there really was to do was chores chores chores, and he could pick that up at any time he wanted_. Not like we're going to have guests anytime soon_, he thought, maybe with a tinge of bitterness. Castle didn't need cleaning. Still forty-four years left, at least. Probably more. Like sixty or seventy.

"At least make yourself useful and get me more water," he ordered. Sorin groaned but stood up and went to go find another bucket. Kirkland had taken three of them with no apparent intentions of returning them.

When he returned with the water, he tried to remember which of the three windows it was he was supposed to bring the water through. Kirkland didn't like him coming through the door, secretive jerk that he was being. He tried the one closest to him, opening the small wooden door that made up the window, only for it to slam in his face. "Other window, Sorin." The voice drifted through the wood.

Sorin rolled his eyes and he tried the one farthest from him, not bothering with the middle on. "Aren't you being a little ridiculous about this, Quirkland?" he called, trying to hide any whine in his voice so he didn't get threatened again.

"I told you to quit calling me that. And no, I'm not being _anything_." His voice turned sharp at that. "I don't want to talk about this until I'm done." Before Sorin could open the window, it snapped open, and the bucket drifted out of his hands. "And thank you for the water." The teenager tried to poke his head in, but Arthur had his back to his student, hiding his work, and the bucket settled down next to him. The window shut.

Sorin groaned again, louder this time, and slumped down by the window, keeping his eyes on the horizon while he waited for something to happen.

* * *

So it didn't look much like what was in the pictures, but Arthur was neither well-versed in blacksmithing nor MagiTech, so he excused it for the moment. He could improve aesthetics when he had mastered its actual creation.

The box itself was an ugly thing. The welding had turned out all right, but with substitute materials Arthur could only hope were working properly, it didn't exactly look like it was made of diamonds. Rather, it looked like it was made of coal. Anyway, according to the diagrams, there needed to be a medium for the magic connected to the hole in the back, but that was made of materials he wasn't sure he could even substitute. Well, he could just replace the entire contraption with his hand and then—

He shrieked as an electric shock surged from his hand throughout his entire body, and he quickly let go. He hissed at the pain that quickly began throbbing. So no direct contact. Got it. He would just need the magic to flow from him into this radio through something else. Something that didn't conduct electricity. He had already burned himself enough making the radio itself; he didn't need to keep hurting himself just to get the stupid damn thing to activate.

"Kirkland, everything okay? Need me to get something?" Apparently his shriek had carried to outside, and he cursed under his breath. The kid was bored, looking to be useful, probably. Hell, not even be useful, just looking for something to do.

"I'm fine, Sorin, just a slight accident," he called back angrily and he began healing his hand. A slight green glow emanated from his palm as the red marks and smell of burning flesh slowly faded. Why did healing magic take so long? He heard a series of knocks on the wall, too hard and random and not-from-the-door to be with a fist. What was he doing, banging his head? "I'm almost done." His voice wasn't sharp, but he wouldn't call it reassuring, either. Want to, anyway.

"Really?" There was a new excitement in his companion's voice, and when Arthur shifted his attention to where Sorin was sitting down, red eyes glowed with happiness and he was toying with that weird gun he stole from Alfred. He was putting a lot of hope into this experiment and what it was, wasn't he? He shouldn't expect so much—Arthur hated failing expectations and Sorin's expectations, to his knowledge, didn't usually work out. He didn't even know what those expectations were supposed to be.

"Yes, once I figure out a couple more things," Arthur responded. He began rummaging through his workshop in search of a solution to his latest problem. There had to be some wood he could work with somewhere.

* * *

Lars had to use the spare key to get into Bella's apartment, since she was running late. They were going out to eat dinner together with their younger brother. Bella said be at her apartment by six o'clock, oh don't worry, I'll be on time, just make sure you're on time, okay? He was a high-class businessman and yet he managed to arrive at the apartment home faster than his run-of-the-mill-mechanic sister. Yes, he was respecting her life choices. No, he did not believe that gave her allowance to be late. Why would anyone be late for anything? It's why scheduling existed in the first place.

He wasn't quite sure what she expected him to do here when waiting for her, but he really didn't like how the place smelled like oil, so maybe he could do her a favor and track down the source and get rid of it. Honestly, if she's going into this business can't she at least keep her own apartment free of that oil smell? Her kitchen was a little messy too. He should tidy up for her, starting with that stench.

Before he could go and look for the source, a _knock-knock-knock_ on the door sounded. It wasn't their brother, she was supposed to bring him with her back when punctuality was still a working and implemented concept. When he opened the door, it was just some guy with flowers. What the hell did he want? Did he think his precious little sister got won over with flowers? Hell, at least that stupid prick Alfred put some effort into their relationship. She adored chocolate, didn't care for flowers because she hated watching them die and hated tossing them out once they were gone even more, and she felt she should only really receive gifts on her birthday or Christmas or when appropriate so she didn't cost anyone anything. She preferred mechanical things and tinkering. And anyway, look at this bouquet. Not a tulip or a poppy in the bunch. How much work went into selecting these? He didn't like this carelessness.

"What?"

"D-does Bella Verbeke live here?" He must have been glaring, because the boy in front of him looked like he wanted to run far away and never come back. Well he should. What was he thinking? Giving someone flowers and he couldn't even put some of her favorites in there.

"What of it?" When would this idiot get to the point?

"T-this is a delivery from, um, Alfred Jones—F. Jones, sorry, I was asked to specify that." Figures it would be _him_ sending a panicky little delivery boy. They had been engaged, for Christ's sake, he should know better than to try this crap. Of course, given how he's been acting nowadays… "Could you, uh, m-make sure she gets them?"

"Yeah. Bye," Lars said shortly. The delivery boy handed him the flowers (practically shoved them at him; he wasn't very delicate with flowers for a florist) and made his hasty retreat. Lars stared at the bouquet for a minute, beating down the impulse to throw it out the window. It was Bella's—she could decide what to do with it. For now he'd just give it some water.

A note stuck out between a rose and a daisy, half open. Lars recognized Alfred's hasty and messy writing, not really something one would want to call script—more like scrawl. He probably shouldn't look, but he didn't think it would be too inappropriate given he could pretty much see it anyway.

_I've been thinking about what you said and a couple other things. Can you gather up the others and we'll talk tomorrow at three? At the usual café. – Alfred._

So he was calling a meeting, huh? Well, no, he was having Bella call the meeting for him. Who's to say Captain Jones would even show up? Lars put the flowers on the table. Bella was a big girl, she could decide what to do from there, with or without his help (although he would always help her if she asked).

Speaking of the golden girl, there she was in a rushed mess of clothing, mussed hair, and smelling like her workshop, dropping her toolbox at her doorstep and not even picking up the littered bolts as she hurried in (really, he thought he raised her better than that). "I'm late I'm late I'm late I'm late…" she was muttering. When she passed by Lars and the flowers, she stopped short, mild surprise and lots of guilt on her face. "Sorry, sorry, Lars," she apologized quickly, "There was this one very difficult bot to fix, I don't even know how something like that could happen in the first place." She paused to draw a few breaths. "A-anyway, you brought flowers?"

"They were delivered," Lars replied, placing the bouquet on the table.

"They're gorgeous," she commented lightly. The note from Alfred caught her eye, and she quickly snatched it up so she could read it. It took mere seconds for her expression and even entire demeanor to darken at the sight. "… The usual, huh?" Her voice was almost too low to hear. "Thought there was no more usual for you. 'Everything's changing now, Bel,' remember?" From the doorway, Lars saw their younger brother step forward nervously, unsure what was wrong, and Lars shook his head. He plucked the note from her grip, and Bella's head snapped up.

He tilted the head in the direction of her bedroom. "Go get yourself cleaned up and dressed, we can wait."

Jones better fucking pull through with this stupid meeting of his if this is crap he's causing to make it happen.

* * *

So he managed with a ceramic plate and some wood.

Arthur's hand went against the plate, and he would push the magic through the connecting wood and the radio would be powered. Other radios, according to the book, ran off some sort of mechanical batteries (apparently steam pipes also played a part when connected to the ship?), but he had neither these batteries nor the means to construct them, based on what he understood. The radio designs he was basing this… box off of utilized something similar, a core they would make and store magic in. The magic would run endlessly through this "circuit" as a sort of unlimited power source.

Why they would waste something so valuable on a communication device he would never understand, but at least he was provided with the means to make something happen.

He was pretty sure it was complete. Still not as gorgeous as the pictures or even the diagrams, but it was (likely, probably, hopefully) complete and as he stared at it, he was sure it would have to go under some beautification later. But that was later and this was now.

He placed his fingers on the smooth surface of the plate, cool even amidst this hot, dank room. Raw magic power coursed from the plate through the wood and into the radio, and it crackled to life.

Kind of.

It crackled all right, noise was coming from the radio, but no voices and certainly nothing he could understand. But buzzing and crackling and useless noise he didn't need and didn't think would occur why would someone on the other end of this piece of shit be doing that and what are they doing to produce such an infuriating noise and—calm down, he told himself. Teeth gritted, Arthur consulted his trusty text, looking for the section on radios. It began talking about channels and dials and things that only ten minutes ago Arthur was sure he had fully comprehended but now looked like nonsensical gibberish.

It looked like he had to play with the dials a little to get a human voice. Not the volume one, the channel one. As he played with dial, the static never cleared. Substituted materials didn't serve their function. Looking back at the text, the word "range" was suddenly more prominent, almost bolded like the other vocabulary words he was supposed to know. They probably weren't in range for anything to pick up a signal even if he had managed to actually make the radio. Nothing was up here.

A laugh escaped him. Of course it wouldn't have worked anyway. Of course nothing was up here. Nothing was close enough to the invisible hiding castle of death and doom. It takes being in the _proper range_, however that was possible. Stupid thing was working off pathetic materials anyway, never meant to establish communication with anyone or anything. He could get it to buzz, to work, but that didn't mean it would _work_. Failed again, Kirkland, forgot one part of the picture. He didn't want people here to take his magic anyway. It was his magic, not theirs, not for anyone who could get power and destroy everyone. It was why he took it all in the first place! He saved everyone, was still saving everyone, right? People don't change—the guys down there would hear about the castle, all the magic laced throughout the halls and the air and stone and the two residents, would try to take it for themselves. Silly Kirkland, forgetting that part of the picture too! When did you become so forgetful and full of stupid hopes? Thought you still had foresight! What was the point of this, anyway? Because he saw a stupid kid looking over a cliff? Pity?

He stared at the stupid piece of shit. Well, if MagiTech was one half magic, then maybe he should take on whatever this bullshit radio was supposed to be running off of and adapt it into his moveset! _There_ was a fun idea! Haha. Haha.

Ha.

* * *

Lovino checked his silver watch. It was getting closer to three.

"Feliciano, where are you?" He asked, raising his voice despite the fact that one shouldn't yell, even when they were in an open-air market (although with the kind of air they had, what was the point of it anymore?). When did these things get so spacious?

"Over here!" His brother was getting older, going through the teenage years like it didn't matter—kid was hardly fazed by the concept or start of puberty—and yet it was still so easy to lose his ditzy ass. Feliciano, fifteen years old and working at a pub to bring in money even thought _Yardmaster Lovino_ was doing just fine in the financial department, poked his head out from one of the stands, smiling brightly.

"Right, I have a meeting thing to go to." What the hell was Bella doing calling him late last night talking this bullshit about meeting at a café? "You have to get to work on your own, okay?"

"Okay! Don't worry, Lovino!" Feliciano waved and went back to his patience-trying quest for the perfect lettuce or whatever the hell it was he was doing. So long as he got some good ingredients for dinner.

When he reached what was designated years ago, back when a project still existed, as "the usual café," actually called _La_ _Minuit_, a pretty little thing run by that idiot Bonnefoy and his younger sister-cousin-niece-whatever-she-was, Alfred was already there, as were Yao and Kiku. "You're early," Lovino remarked.

"Just got here," Yao said. Kiku nodded in hello. Lovino could almost taste the awkward in here. Might as well chop it up and sprinkle it on top of some "I-don't-want-to-be-here" cupcakes. Even idiot Jones was radiating a certain level of nervousness. "According to Francis, Alfred's been here for at least half an hour." Well, wasn't _that_ a change of pace. Jones is not only on time, but actually managed to get here _early_. He didn't react to his name, he was just staring out the window. Maybe he couldn't hear anything happening right now, too far off in his own little world.

Heracles, Lars, Matthew, and finally last-but-maybe-least Bella trickled in one after another. Heracles was unbelievably relaxed about the entire thing, even bringing one of his cats to show Kiku. Looking around, Lovino could tell they needed a calming presence like his.

Seven waited for their once-great leader to say what it was he wanted to say.

"So," he began, "it's come to my attention that I've been… a little neglectful to the team."

"Only six years behind everyone else, are you?" Lovino couldn't help but say what he was sure everyone was thinking. Yao shushed him and he glared back.

"Anyway, _Vargas_," Alfred also sent Lovino a pointed look, the bastard, "I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have just cut you guys off like that. For the last month, I've been switching around plans and everything, so I'll, you know, be able to join you on the ship in February."

_What makes you think we want you back?_ Lovino was finished with him by the end of year two. If their so-called captain was done, then tough luck, why bother coming back because someone finally yelled at you?

If he were to guess, he would say Matthew, who watched with tense nervousness, had something to do with this whole meeting and apology thing. Matthew didn't like their castle adventure but he was Alfred's brother (and closest friend) and a member of the crew and he'd said a few times he was optimistic about meeting number two with the two freaks that lived there.

"It's nice you wanted to apologize, Alfred," Kiku said, "We were hoping that you would…" He trailed off. Probably about to say something too blunt for _him_.

Alfred laughed. "Yeah, I've been… pretty bad, huh? Not much of a captain or a hero."

"Yeah, if 'pretty bad' could conveniently translate into 'god awful,'" Lovino retorted. "Where the hell have you been?"

Bastard was still trying to smile. "Oh, you know, I've been around. Mostly business stuff."

"Yeah, I've been around, too," Lovino took a mocking tone. "Doesn't mean I'm not still able to meet with my crew." The idiot smile dropped, and next to him something in Matthew's expression changed.

"I'm trying to fix that right now, in case you didn't notice!"

"Yeah and you're doing a pathe—" Yao elbowed him and he broke off. "What?"

"Stop picking fights, Lovino."

Heracles, who ignored the commotion, offered Alfred the cat like one would an olive branch. "If you're willing to apologize and come back to the team, I don't see why we shouldn't let you back. You never really stopped being 'with us' in the first place," he said. Alfred brightened at that, stoking the cat's head cheerfully and once again, doing that idiot's grin.

Lars, who didn't seem to care about the arguments and was never close to the rest of the team anyway, agreed with a grunt before ordering a coffee.

"You're going to be here for good, right?" Yao asked. And once again, the smile was gone.

"Don't doubt him, Yao! He wouldn't have called everyone here if he didn't think he could do it without a problem!" Matthew snapped, making even his own brother jump. "All of you! You get mad when he doesn't show up and then when he tries to fix it you're so suspicious! Lovino's arguing, Yao's doubting, Kiku can't say anything because it's too impolite, Bella hasn't said a word the entire time! Heracles and Lars have the right idea here!" He took in a large breath, and then released it slowly. "Sorry, sorry, I'll be quiet now. I didn't mean to talk like you were all being idiots." _Even if they were_, Lovino thought.

Alfred's gaze flicked to Bella, and hers flicked away. "'With or without' does include 'with,'" she said softly, and then louder, with a small teasing smirk. "Just make sure you're on time for once, Jones."

"Vino?" That nickname. Other morons liked to stick to "Lovi," but he and Alfred had met over a few bottles of wine and the nickname stuck. Why was he using it at a time like this?

Lovino forced his expression calm. "You're not the captain anymore, Jones, but welcome back, I guess."

* * *

Arthur wasn't quite sure what to do with his new "radio" now that he understood how completely useless it was.

His playing with metals had seemed so promising, and now it was done.

He had a couple fingers idly laying on the plate and powering it, listening to faint static for a sort of mind-numbing effect. It had no practical use, so he probably shouldn't keep it… But where would he put it? Leave it in here? Toss it over the edge? What would even happen to it if he did that? Time for another experiment perhaps?

Something disrupted the crackling and thus his thoughts. It buzzed, like maybe it was actually working?

And then it went back to static.

A wince-inducing crunch that heavily resembled armor being crushed by a hammer took his attention from the pseudo-creation. "Arthur, Arthur!" Sorin's panicked screaming followed very quickly after. "I need help!"

He rushed out the smith door and to the cliff just outside, where Sorin, arms outstretched, was holding a giant, crushed airship in place. A faint red glow surrounding it suggested Sorin was putting in much more power than necessary as well—something as basic as levitation shouldn't require any pretty light shows. With its size and weight, the barrier attempting to keep the magic from escaping, and the excess magic he was channeling, it was obviously taking quite a strain on him. "This thing j-just crashed into the barrier! Even birds know better than this, I don't get how it happened!"

Arthur held his own hands out and steadied the ship, and Sorin relaxed slightly, like maybe a quarter of the sky was taken off his shoulders. His pull on the ship could be felt, even through everything else trying to keep him from doing anything worthwhile. "Sorin, let go."

"What? Are you insane? You're hardly holding on! If I let go, it'll fall!"

"Let go," Arthur repeated. Hell, he didn't know if he could save them, not with the barrier serving its purpose in the single worst way possible, but with Sorin keeping his grip so solid, he wouldn't be able to see if he could. This stupid impulsive brat—was he planning on just standing there until the barrier opened again and the dragging them in? They'd be dead by then, by starvation if nothing else.

If anyone in such a banged up thing was still alive. Its entire front third was flattened.

"It's going to drop!" Sorin yelled. He was glaring into the ship, but was likely meant to be directed at him. "You aren't putting in enough magic!"

"I'm well aware of what I'm doing and not doing," Arthur growled. "Now drop the bloody airship."

"No!"

"Sorin."

"Get an actual hold on it and then I'll let go." Sorin was completely adamant about this. Such a noble notion, not wanting them to die or get hurt, but one that was hurting their chances for survival. Eventually, whether Sorin liked it or not, the barrier would quit playing with this resistance and just shove every little drop of magic back in, and the giant metal hunk of shit would drop like a dead dove.

And anyway Arthur wasn't going to argue with him further. He forced Sorin's magic back through him and cut off his hold.

"Kirkland!" Sorin shrieked.

And his student had been right, the useless airship fell.

Arthur caught it before it was out of range, and dismissed any clouds that blocked his sight. A cruel memory of days when his powers had no range burst through his mind before being crushed by the present day dilemma. He slowly lowered it a little further, but had to stop as more pressure was put down on him. It was at the edge of his range, and most definitely out of Sorin's. He wasn't able to let it fall on and off to the ground—too restricted. _Fucking restrictions_, he thought as a surge of raw fury at his helplessness passed through him. Fuck this barrier. Fuck that aiship. Fuck magical fucking castles. Why not just let it plummet, Kirkland? Only Sorin's watching, and it's not like he could tell anyone. He'd be upset, but he'd forget about it, right?

But he would be upset.

Fuck being upset.

One of the people was climbing out of the ship (some hole in the top?), climbing towards the snapped wings and looking around wildly. He stood there for a second and then yelled something back. So at least two people had survived. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but found out very quickly any attempt to reposition the broken wing was futile in both keeping the ship residents calm—the person ran back inside to safety from the magic hand moving things—and in actually fixing the ship—it fell off, floating next to it's former host. Next to him, Sorin stiffened.

This time, a group of four stumbled onto the top of their zeppelin, and they split up into two groups and went to either side of the ships. What were they doing. From their vantage point, Arthur saw one person climb down and do something—to far away to tell, but maybe they pulled a lever or switch or something?—and quickly return to the top.

While they did whatever it was they were doing, Arthur began tearing apart the wing into manageable parts, wrenching the metal into box shaped. He couldn't let it drop no matter what he did to it—the results at that height could very well be disastrous.

His arm was aching.

He moved the shredded wing to the hole where the people had originally come from, trying to stuff the pieces inside. It wasn't at all successful until Arthur smashed them together even further, practically merging the metal and making a screeching noise that reached even his ears.

Finally, whatever it was they were doing kicked in, and two poles shot out from either side, and following that a set of sheets of dull gold metal folded outwards to form a new set of wings, meeting the back end. At said back end, a cone emerged and five sheets of metal sprouted from that and began spinning. What was this, some emergency back-up thing? Whatever it was, the people were to be ready to go, as they began climbing into that hatch they emerged from.

He pushed them forward shakily and let them go, and they began descending gracefully, like a monstrous steel hawk. It was almost calming to watch.

Well, that was that. All he did was hold them up while they got their shit together and saved themselves. It didn't feel like he did much. Like he was useless.

Powerless.

Haha.

Arthur turned back towards the hut that made up the smith he had been using, and held out his other hand, the one that wasn't aching from recent efforts. The roof caved in like the world had just landed on it, crushing the to-be-radio under the newly formed debris. A brick on the top lifted and fell onto the collapsed former roof. And then another. One by one the bricks piled on top of each other, until no bricks remained to pile. Silent, Sorin watched.

"Make sure you can divert those things before they reach the barrier from now on," he ordered dully.

And Arthur went to his towertop room.

* * *

Sorin couldn't believe what he had seen when it crashed into the barrier.

He had never thought of it as a hard surface, but that explosion of metal and insanity completely changed his image of this half-prison half-sanctuary. He reacted on instinct, catching it before it had to the opportunity to fall, and then screaming for reinforcements. Pain ripped through his body, telling him to stop, stop, this isn't the kind of the thing you can handle, let go, everyone's probably dead anyway, quit putting so much magic in this, it's too big, too heavy, too much magic, stop it you fucking idiot, let the stupid ship fall. He figured it was direct commutation from the barrier.

And then Kirkland forced him to let go. The only thing that kept Sorin from attacking Arthur at that moment was the fact that his teacher was holding on to the airship himself now. And then he could only observe as Arthur toyed with it in a (he hoped) well-intentioned attempt to get it going again.

Haha, look at him, only recently promising to never again care about the people stupid enough to try coming to this place, and he was already preparing to leap at Kirkland for almost killing them.

Their magnificent transformation fascinated Sorin, from airship to something new with outstretched wings, and he was almost sad to see Kirkland let it go. But what more was there to do, right?

He leaned over the cliff again, watching it glide off into the distance, and his blood ran cold when he was sure he saw it catch fire.

* * *

Heracles hadn't really expected much that morning when he entered the library. It was a library. Full of useful books that often pertained to his work, but not something that really stirs the nerves. That was fine with him; he loved relaxing and keeping things calm.

A number of people were crowded around the radio at the checkout desk, which sparked his curiosity.

"According to reports, the ship hung in air with nothing to hold it up!" exclaimed the newscaster. "Nothing at all! That wasn't a ship running off of Alfred F. Jones's MagiTech, apparently, which makes the entire thing all the more bizarre! Theories are running everywhere, from some mass hallucination on part of the crew to religious devotion finally paying off to some unknown emergency function in the ship itself!" Heracles remembered Bella talking about how this magic princess who lived in the castle displayed some telekinetic abilities.

"Anyways, after the crew deployed the real emergency switches, one of the engines burst into flames! A few people survived the crash miraculously, although there were many casualties. We've been asked here not to give any numbers quite yet, however a cabin boy and, oddly enough, one of the engine workers managed to get off with few injuries."

He got the attention of one of the girls listening in. "Where did the ship crash?" If he was right, then it should be right near—

"Hm? Over in Southeast Asia, apparently. Somewhere by Laos, they said," she answered and turned her attention back to the newscasts.

He hummed happily in thanks, even though it went unheard and turned towards the books he spent so much time pouring over for his analysis papers and research.

If the magic princess and the other one were the ones to help, then this would be something to look forward to after all.


End file.
